Taratarini Mela

The mela takes place in the Taratarini temple. This is actually the Tara Tarini temple that is situated in a scenic spot on the banks of the river Rushikulya. The location of this temple is actually at Purushottampur village that falls in the Ganjam district of Orissa and this is close to 30 km off Berhampet. Tara and Tarini are the twin Goddesses of this temple and the temple is dedicated to these twin Shaktis. The Taratarini Mela takes place annually at this temple.

History of Taratarini Mela

As per the Hindu Mythology, the twin idols of Tara and Tarini are considered to be the Shakthi Peeth temple. When Sati immolated herself upon being upset over her father Daksh’s disrespect for her husband Lord Shiva, Shiva carried the corpse of his wife over his shoulder and wandered all over the country. Then, her body parts fell in some parts and these came to be known as the Shakti Peeths. The location of the temple is the place where Sati’s breasts were supposed to have fallen.

Celebration of Taratarini Mela

Most of the stories and the history associated with the temple have clear indication of this falling into the Hindu cult. However, there are Buddhist influences as well with the statue of Buddha seen even inside the sanctum sanctorum of the temple. Since Kalinga was under Buddhist influence after the war that Ashoka waged, this could also be a reason for the temple to visibly have the influences of the Buddhist culture.

However, the Taratarini Mela is celebrated every year in the month of Chaitra that is the months of April – May in proper Hindu style. Every Tuesday of that month, the mela is celebrated with a lot of religious gusto. There are people from all over the city and state who come over to celebrate the festival. They come from far and near to witness this festival where there are elaborate rituals done for the twin Shakthis. This is a very important centre for the worship of Mother Shakti and the importance of the mela become multi-fold considering the ancient standing of the temple as well.

This is an ideal time for tourists to plan their trip to Orissa. That Taratarini Mela sees a slight confluence of Hindu – Buddhist rituals and is a pleasant and apt time to worship the mother Goddess and offer prayers to her and seek her blessings.

Interesting Facts about Taratarini Mela

The most interesting fact about the Taratarini Mela is the special prayers and rituals that are conducted on the third Tuesdays of the month of Chaitra. Though all Tuesdays are considered to be very auspicious and there are grand celebrations, the highest point of celebration and Pooja is done on the third Tuesday, so it is best if tourists can come here that day.

Tips for Tourist in Taratarini Mela

The timings of the temple could vary at the time of the Taratarini Mela. So, visitors who are not familiar with the temple and who are coming here for the first time have to doubly check the timelines and then come over to avoid any last minute surprises.

Since, this is considered to be a powerful Shakti Peeth, the tourists can make wishes that they need the intervention of the Goddess and they will see that these will get fulfilled. There are a lot of pilgrims who come here to complete their Pooja and thank the Goddess for granting their wishes.

How to Reach

By Air

The airports at Bhubaneswar and Vishakhapatnam are 170 kms and 240 kms away from the temple respectively. Both of these airports are quite big and have good domestic connections. So the tourists can look for suitable flights to either of these airports and then take taxis to the temple directly.

By Train

Berhampur railway station is the most suited for tourists arriving on rail. This is 32 kms away from the temple and the pilgrims can take an auto or taxi to the temple from the railway station.

By Bus

Most bus services from Berhampur have a stop at the temple. There are many buses that connect different parts of the state to Berhampur and over and above these there are taxis and autos from important points in the city.